Pages
Wednesday, May 21, 2014
Turkish Warships in Greek Waters
World Travel Awards Held This Year in Athens
Kouvelis Slams Coalition, Says No Return, Slaps SYRIZA Too
A Modern-Day Idyll On Greece's Peloponnesian Coast: Amanzoe
Gas, Ukraine Top Bid Cyprus Visit
Cyprus' airport was briefly evacuated following a bomb hoax, a day ahead of a visit to the small Mediterranean island nation by U.S. Vice President Joe Biden.
The post Gas, Ukraine Top Bid Cyprus Visit appeared first on The National Herald.
PAOK Fights Title Cost Points Loss
The Thessaloniki soccer team PAOK is asking the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) to overturn a three-point deduction for fan hooliganism that cost the team a place in next season's Champions League.
The post PAOK Fights Title Cost Points Loss appeared first on The National Herald.
DIMAR Rejects Coalition Return
Democratic Left (DIMAR) leader Fotis Kouvelis said he won't return to the coalition government headed by Prime Minister Antonis Samaras' New Democracy Conservatives.
The post DIMAR Rejects Coalition Return appeared first on The National Herald.
How To Celebrate Memorial Day In Cleveland
New Exit Poll Shows SYRIZA Leading
Karamanlis Re-Appears to Back New Democracy
For restaurant families, shared heritage of one Greek island blooms each spring
Samaras Promises Voters Jobs, Recovery
Days before critical elections for Greek municipalities and the European Parliament, Prime Minister Antonis Samaras pleaded with voters to stay a course of recovery with him.
The post Samaras Promises Voters Jobs, Recovery appeared first on The National Herald.
Greece Steps Up Aegean Patrols
Fearing smugglers will try to bring more illegal immigrants across the sea, the Hellenic Coast Guard is picking up patrols off Turkey.
The post Greece Steps Up Aegean Patrols appeared first on The National Herald.
Greece: Jazz Version of Rise Up released
Man Executed in Western Athens
IMF Meets on May 30 to Decide on Next Tranche
Crete Village of Doctors Without a Doctor
Stocks dip on weaker banking heavyweights
Greek Design Group Mousegraphics Wins Coveted Design Award
The Real Greek expands outside London
Greek PM presents new national growth plan for post-crisis Greece
Greek Prime Minister Antonis Samaras presented on Tuesday an ambitious new national growth plan which lays the foundations for a healthy Greek economy after four years of an acute debt crisis.
The "Greece 2021" program envisages the implementation of a new development model for the country which will lead to 50 billion euro (68.5 billion U.S. dollars) revenues and the creation of some 770,000 job positions over the next seven years.
The new plan focuses on the support of sectors where Greece has strategic advantages, such as shipping, agriculture, energy, transit trade, pharmaceuticals, the metal industry, research, technology, innovation and services.
Among the priorities in this context is the gradual introduction of further reforms aimed to cut down on bureaucracy, deregulate the market, strengthen the banking sector and facilitate the financing of small and medium-sized enterprises.
He pledged a policy mix which will reduce tax evasion and gradually taxes, production costs and social security contributions in order to attract more investments, deal with the unemployment and enhance social cohesion.
Outlining the overall strategy during an event organized by the ruling conservative New Democracy party ahead of the forthcoming May 25 local administration and European Parliament elections, Samaras stressed that Greece is exiting the crisis and lays the ground for a better future.
"We are moving forward to growth ... We are building a new Greece," Samaras said, underlining that even international markets acknowledge today the impressive progress achieved in fiscal targets and reforms in recent years.
Greece, which has been kept afloat with international bailout loans in return of painful austerity since 2010, is exiting six years of recession in 2014 and will post a 2.9 percent gross domestic product (GDP) growth in 2015 and a 3.7 percent in 2016, the Premier said.
As the ruling coalition suffered losses, but kept its ground in the first round of local elections on May 18, he called on Greek voters to make a clear choice next Sunday between "stability and the risk of backtracking to a nightmare."
Anti-bailout main opposition Radical Left SYRIZA party has presented the May 25 elections as a referendum on the government's economic policy and stay in power.
Business live: SSE and Burberry profits up; Bank of England minutes and retail sales awaited
Energy firm claims the sector faces very challenging conditions after growing profits to £1.55bn, but lost 370,000 customers over the last year
SSE: profits up 9.6%, but retail profits downChairman: We're part of the solutionBurberry warns on currency effects, againComing up: Bank of England minutes...8.59am BST
Back on SSE's results, and the Press Association has focused on the drop in retail profits at the energy supplier:
Energy giant SSE today said annual profits from its energy supply arm fell by nearly a third and are unlikely to recover for two years after it announced a price freeze.
Operating profits from the business dropped by 32.2% to £246 million though the wider group saw adjusted pre-tax profits rise 9.6% to £1.55 billion.
8.55am BST
It's the end of an era at Carpetright.
The UK flooring firm's (very) long-serving executive chairman, Lord Harris, is stepping down this summer, after more than half a century in carpet retailing.
"I will be 72 this year and shareholders will be aware that I have been planning a managed hand-over of my responsibilities for some time.
8.46am BST
Heads-up for eurozone crisis watchers - the FT's Peter Spiegel is about to discuss his brilliant series on how the euro was saved, on Radio 4. You'll be able to hear it later on iPlayer (could be tricky if you're not in the UK, though)..
Not fully awake yet? I've got solution: my grating American accent on @BBCRadio4 in 10mins talking about recent @FT series on #eurocrisis
8.43am BST
SSE's 9.6% jump in profits (despite that drop in retail earnings) haven't caused any alarm in the City -- where shares have dipped just 0.3%, or 6p, to £15.60.
And Burberry's record profits have also gone down well - shares are up 0.6%
8.36am BST
Burberry's new boss, Christopher Bailey, has begun his stint at the top of the fashion industry by reporting record profits for the last year, up 8% rise in line with expectations.
As we enter a new chapter, our teams are united and energised by the opportunities ahead - from unlocking Japan, to accelerating Beauty and further integrating the physical and digital to deliver distinctive experiences.
8.17am BST
SSE has hiked the dividend it pays to shareholders by 3.0% -- part of its policy to raise dividends at least as fast as inflation.
But it warned that future earnings face several risks, including:
SSE ups the dividend but warns that potential Labour price freeze "could place a greater risk" on future earnings for shareholders.
8.10am BST
SSE's chairman Lord Smith insists that his company is part of the solution, not the problem, in the energy sector - after growing profits by almost 10% in the last year:
"SSE is listening to and helping customers with the longest ever household energy price freeze in the Great Britain market;we have well-defined plans for net investment of around £5.5bn over the next four years in maintaining, upgrading and building the electricity assets customers depend on; and we are committed to giving investors a fair return through an annual dividend that at least keeps pace with inflation.
"The issues facing the energy sector are very challenging. Nevertheless, customers, investors, regulators, politicians and SSE all want the same thing: an energy market that works for customers, and is trusted and seen to do so. We believe SSE is not part of the problem but part of the solution to meeting the energy needs of customers in Great Britain and Ireland."
8.04am BST
Energy firm SSE has reignited the debate over the state of Britain's energy sector by posting a 9.6% surge in profits for the last financial year.
SSE, one of Britain's "Big Six" suppliers, made adjusted pre-tax profits of£1.55bn for the year to 31 March compared with £1.4bn a year earlier.
SSE group profits up 9.6% to £1.5bn as retail price hike last Nov helps. Interesting 48% gain from regulated (?) electricity transmission.
Energy supplier SSE reports 9pc rise in adjusted pre-tax profits of £1,55bn - a reflection of the underlying profits of the business
8.02am BST
Good morning, and welcome to our rolling coverage of the financial markets, the world economy, the eurozone and business.
Coming up today -- the minutes of the Bank of England's last monetary policy meeting will show whether any rate-setters are considering raising interest rates, in the face of a growing economy and hefty house price rises in London.
get your resumes out: samaras vowed 770,000 new jobs by 2020. which, by then, shd be roughly the size of the remaining labor force. #greece
#Greece #EP2014 RT @jodi2014: This is what #Samaras promised before the 2012 elections http://t.co/P3KKueweOw pic.twitter.com/KlLBmJ3jhZ
Continue reading...Ellen DeGeneres is in a Greek Soap Opera?
EYCS Council focuses on high quality education and youth entrepreneurship
The Ministerial Council on Education, Youth, Culture and Sport (EYCS) (Education & Youth), chaired by Athanasios Kyriazis, Greek Secretary General for Education and Religious Affairs, met in Brussels yesterday, 20 May 2014.
In the Education session, the Council adopted the following conclusions:
• on effective teacher education, • on multilingualism and the development of language competencies, • on quality assurance supporting education and training.
In conjunction with February’s conclusions on “efficient and innovative education and training, to invest in skills-supporting the European Semester 2014”, a coherent framework of initiatives, aimed at improving the quality of education as well as a number of issues that no other presidency until now had adopted, were promoted.
In particular, the Greek Presidency raised the issue of quality assurance in the cross-border higher education programmes, which was discussed in public session. Moreover, the Council examined the strengthening of the role of education in updating the strategy "Europe 2020", as its contribution to Member States’ economic and social development is considerably important.
Finally, during the afternoon session, ministers exchanged views on youth-related matters. The Council adopted conclusions on “promoting youth entrepreneurship to foster social inclusion of young people”.
Greek lessons start on TV
Chefs raise funds with Greek cooking demo
Greek-American Chef Jimmy Bannos Is (Officially) a Rising Star
World Cup: Greece cut Papadopoulos, Tzorvas from squad
Are Greeks returning to Turkey?
RMH Walk-a-Thon Raises Funds, Spirits
The annual Walk-a-Thon for the Ronald McDonald House in NY that is organized by its Greek Division was held May 17 and raised $76,000. Co-chairs Nicolas Bornozis and Marie Konstance marched along with RMH President and CEO William Sullivan, Greek Division Administrator Spiridoula Katechis and its new chairman Michael Bapis. According to its web site […]
The post RMH Walk-a-Thon Raises Funds, Spirits appeared first on The National Herald.
Exceptional Greek salad and other specialties at My Other Kitchen
Greek Film Impresses Critics at Cannes Festival
Sugar Ray to play Greek Fest more than month before Mark McGrath stars in 'Sharknado 2'
Athens Mayoral Candidates to Hold Televised Debate
Acropolis Museum Among 20 Best in the World
Greek Property Prices 2014 Continue to Drop
Greek Week for charity
From our Upcoming Travel Guide: The Incomparable Nisyrian Moon
“There’s no place like home” is a phrase used by Greeks, Americans, and people of various other countries throughout the world. It speaks to a bond with one’s native land. Greeks of Greece and the Diaspora have their favorite “homes,” too – their own little corner of Greece they boast is “the best!” If we […]
The post From our Upcoming Travel Guide: The Incomparable Nisyrian Moon appeared first on The National Herald.